What to see in Osaka, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including Castle, Observatory, Universal Studios Japan and Museum of Ceramics.
Tourist information
A vibrant and energetic metropolis of Japan, Osaka is a city with many street performers, huge underground shopping centers and future-oriented architectural landmarks.
Another distinctive feature of the city is its people, very approachable and helpful, good Japanese cuisine and entertainment venues, including Kuidaore, which means eating to exhaustion.
Osaka residents care about their local dialect, which they feel warmer and more expressive than the official Japanese language.
A recent period of urban redevelopment has significantly improved many areas of the city, making Osaka the ideal place to closely observe the typical city appearance of Japan.
The Floating Garden Observatory is an observatory whose observation platform connects the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building at 173 m high.
The views of the city are spectacular.
In case of rain, the uncovered upper floor is closed, but it is still possible to enjoy an excellent view also from the lower floor.
What see
In the Oriental Ceramics Museum you can admire collections of ancient Japanese, Chinese and Korean ceramics, dating back to the most important artistic periods.
From archaeological finds to the most refined examples of ceramic manufacturing techniques, the exhibits of this museum tell the economic and cultural ties of all East Asia.
In the National Museum of Art, characterized by an entrance with fish-shaped forged steel poles, exhibitions of Japanese and international artists are exhibited.
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The Osaka Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world, contained in a unique butterfly-shaped architectural structure.
It contains 580 species of fish and 30,000 marine animals from the Pacific Ocean, and there is also a huge whale.
The Castle stands in the oldest part of Osaka.
It is a reproduction, being the original destroyed during the Second World War, except for the walls that surround it, which instead date back to the primitive structure.
With high walls and wide moats, Osaka Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Japan.
The roof tiles have decorations and reliefs that represent dolphins and tigers finished with gold.
It is also pleasant to take a walk in the park, especially in spring when the cherry trees are in bloom.
The History Museum is located just outside Osaka Castle Park.
Each of the floors is dedicated to different periods in the history of Osaka, except for the top floor where the interior of the Naniwa-no-miya palace was recreated.
Opened in 1989, the Science Museum offers a fascinating journey into the world of science, focusing on the universe and energy.
In the museum's Planetarium, 28,000 stars are projected onto one of the world's largest dome screens, measuring 26 meters in diameter.
Shitenno-ji Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan.
None of the originally built buildings survived, although the arrangement was respected.
Worth noting is a beautiful example of a five-storey oriental pagoda.
Osaka Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of the oldest shrines in the country, founded in the third century, which represents an original form of Japanese architecture.
Universal Studios Japan is a theme park that offers attractions and shows associated with famous Hollywood films, as well as television programs.
Themed guided tours are planned, there are also restaurants and shops where you can buy souvenirs.
